PARISH rates in St Helier will remain unchanged for the ninth successive year, but the Constable has warned that increases in the cost of living could spark a rise in 2023.
Attendees at the parish’s annual Rates Assembly meeting backed proposals by Constable Simon Crowcroft this week to maintain the previous rate of 1.15p.
Speaking after his financial plans for the coming year were backed without amendment, Mr Crowcroft said he was pleased to receive the endorsement of parishioners.
He said: ‘I think it’s an achievement, as it comes against a background of rising costs, so to keep the rate unchanged is effectively a reduction in real terms.’
Mr Crowcroft paid tributes to parish officials and employees, whose efforts had, he said, enabled St Helier to operate more efficiently without cutting any services.
He added: ‘It’s one of the strengths of the parish system that Constables are required to account for how they spend ratepayers’ money, and parishioners can challenge them or propose amendments.
‘There’s been very good housekeeping by parish staff, with the aim of delivering services as efficiently as possible.’
The Constable, who was re-elected to the role he has held since 2001 at the recent general election, warned that a future rise was possible.
‘We can’t go on forever. There have been significant rises in the cost of living already this year which would make it impossible to promise that we could maintain the freeze after the next 12 months,’ he said.
Among the projects referenced during the meeting, consultation work is to commence shortly on proposed neighbourhood improvement areas.
Mr Crowcroft said the intention was to smarten up areas that in some cases had seen little investment for up to 30 years, with work to plant trees, install planters, repaint fixtures ad refurbish pavements in order to improve the environment.
Details of proposed work would be finalised after consultation with residents, he added, with Havre des Pas and the area of Great Union Road and Pomona Road likely to among the first zones targeted.
